Chronograph with distance indicating dial



May 28, 1957 P. R. VOGEL 2,793,810

CHRONOGRAPH WITH DISTANCE INDICATING DIAL Filed Dec. 11, 1955 United States Patent Ofice 2,793,810 CHRONOGRAPH WITIfiIRIISTANCE INDICATING Paul I en Vogel, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Fabrlque Solvil des Montres Paul Ditisheim S. A., Geneva, Switzerland, a firm Application December 11, 1953, Serial No. 307,692

Claims priority, application Switzerland September 23, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 235-112) My invention has for its object a chronograph provided with at least one centre seconds hand. Said chronograph includes at least two annular interchangeable dials adapted to be positioned selectively round a central dial carrying the totahzers, said annular dials being readily accessible after the bezel has been removed while each of them carries two upstanding control knobs each provided in its lower section with a grooved tenon adapted to engage a slot formed in a carrier plate so as to be capable of assumlng an angular movement until the dial is caused to stop at the end of the slot in the desired accurate operative posttlon.

I have illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of a chronograph according to my invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the chronograph with one of the annular dials shown partly torn 01f;

Fig. 2 shows the second annular dial with the centre seconds hand and the totalizers on the central dial;

Fig. 3 is a radial, partial cross-section on an enlarged scale, through line III--III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial diametrical cross-section of the bezel.

The chronograph illustrated includes a centre secondshand 1 and a follower hand 2, both revolving round the same axis. A carrier plate 3 secured to the casing 4, is rigid with a circular projecting plate 5 on which are mounted the dial 6 of the minute-totalizing means and the dial 7 of the hour-totalizing means. The plate 3 is further provided with two transverse slots 8 in diametrically opposed relationship.

The chronograph includes two interchangeable annular dials adapted to be positioned selectively on the carrier plate 3 round the central dial plate 5, to wit an annular dial 9 partly shown in Fig. 1, and carrying a scale of seconds and fractions of seconds, and a second annular dial E shown in Fig. 2. The central dial 5 may also be provided with a tachymetric scale cooperating with a tachymeter hand that has not been illustrated.

Each of the two dials 9 and E carries two diametrically opposed control knobs 12 including, underneath the dial, an extension forming a tenon 13 inside which is cut a groove 14 adapted to engage the corresponding slot 8. Each annular dial 9 or E is locked in its accurate operative position by angularly shifting said dial in the direction of the arrow F-1 until the bottom of the groove 14 engages the end of the corresponding slot 8.

The annular dial E is subdivided into six angular sectors a, b, c, d, e and f, the medial lines of which register with the subdivisions 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 of the seconds scale formed on the inner edge of the dial. Each sector a, b, c, d, e, f, carries an arithmetically increasing progression of five numbers giving out distances such as 2,793,810 Patented May 28, 1957 100, 700, 1300, 1900 and 2500 metres for the sector a. These numbers are regularly distributed over the angular area occupied by each sector and the numbers of each progression increase in a clockwise direction. When the successive sectors are considered in said clockwise direction, the numbers occupying the same relative posi tions in the successive progressions, increase by 100. Said sectors are selected by the seconds hand, so as to allow ascertaining the distances which should be travelled over, during the time indicated by the different hands 1, 6 and 7 for an average predetermined speed of travel, which allows checking the constancy of the speed at which an automobile is running.

The annular dial B may be used as follows:

After a duration of travel assumed to be longer than say 11 minutes, the second hand 1 and the minute totalizer 6 occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. 2. It is thus found that the seconds hand extends into register with the sector 2. As shown in a chart carried by the upper part of the dial B, it is necessary to add to the distance reckoned as disclosed hereinafter, a'basic distance of 3 kilometres for every 5 minutes, the speed being assumed to be equal to 36 kilometres per hour. It is therefore necessary to find how many times five minutes are contained in this period of 11 minutes and a few seconds, the answer being twice. Thus, we obtain twice 3 kilometres or 6,000 metres, to be added to the distance read on the dial E in the following manner: From the measured time, 11 minutes and a few seconds, I subtract 10 minutes, which are the above mentioned twice 5 minutes that have been transformed into metres. There remain thus 1 minute and a few seconds on the way to the second minute. It is therefore necessary to read the second number in the sector e registering with the seconds hand. This second number, 1100 metres, is added to the above reckoned 6,000 metres so that the total travel should be equal to 7,100 metres. The result of the reading shows that at an average speed of 36 kilometres per hour, the automobile should have travelled over exactly 7,100 metres. 7

It is easy to understand the procedure of reading and checking the distance travelled as described, for the case where the hour totalizer 7 has moved beyond the division 1. The time obtained is always to be reckoned in minutes, even when extending beyond 1 hour.

The bezel of the chronograph is constituted by a ring 17 (Figs. 1 and 4) provided with an inner groove 18 the cross-sectional outline of which assumes the shape of a V the opening of which is slightly less than said ring carrying furthermore depending tongues 19 engaging elastically the inner wall of the casing 4. The bezel 17 is thus readily removable so as to allow an easy replacement of the annular dials. The groove 18 serves to hold the glass 23 but its outline flares to a sufiicient extent so that it is possible to remove the glass 23 by exerting an axial pressure in the direction of the arrow F-2 (Fig. 4). It is possible to return the glass 23 inside the groove 18 by slightly bending said glass so as to make it assume a. slightly convex shape when considered in an upward direction.

The above-described chronograph may include a set of several annular dials E, the sectors a, b, c, d, e, 1, which carry different arithmetically increasing progres sions of numbers corresponding to distances reckoned selectively not only for the above mentioned average speed of 36 kilometres per hour, but also for speeds of 48 and 60 kilometres per hour for instance, each dial corresponding to a different speed.

- 3 What I claim is:

1. In a chronograph for use on board a vehicle, the provision of a dial carrying an annular sixty second scale, of a seconds hand cooperating therewith and an auxiliary dial subdivided into a number of equal sectors extending respectively in register with equal successive fractions of the ,annular scale, each sector carrying anarithmetic,

progression of, numbers the first of which; indicates the distance travelled over by the vehicle at ran-predetermined speed during a time correspondingto the total number of sectors through which the seconds hand has travelled between the scale zero and'thebeginningof the sector considered,'the numbers followinguthefirst number of the progression in each sector, indicating, further distances travelled over at the same speedbytthe vehicle during the time elapsed between origins of timeshifted by successive integer numbers of minutesback behind the zero, of the sixtyseconds scaleand the zero of thescale in addition to the time corresponding to the total number of sectors through which the seconds hand has travelled between the zero and. the beginningof the sectorconsidered.

v 2;' In av chronograph for use on board a vehicle, the provision of a dial carrying an annularsixty second scale, of '2. seconds hand cooperatingtherewith and an auxiliary dial subdivided 'into a number of equal sectors extending respectively in register withequal successivefractions of the annular scale, and having each a predetermined point of its length registering with the origin of a corresponding subdivision of the sixty second scale into a number offractions equal to that of the sectors, each sector carrying, distributed in clockwise direction, an arithmetic progression of numbers the first of which indicates the distance travelled over by the vehicle at a predetermined speed during a timecorresponding to the angular distance travelled over by the seconds hand between the zero of the sixty second scale and the predetermined point of the sector considered, the numbers following the first number of the progression in each sector indicating further'distances travelled over at the same speed by the vehicle during the time elapsed between origins of time shifted by successive integer numbers of minutes back behind the zero of the sixty seconds scale and the passage of the'seconds-hand over the predetermined point of the sector considered;

3. In -a chronograph for use on board a vehicle, the combination of a central dial, a minute totalizer and an hour totalizer carried by said central dial, a centre seconds hand revolving over said central dial and totalizers thereon, a casing'enclosing said dial and hand, a carrier plate mounted inside the casing, carrying the central dial and provided with two arcuate diametrically opposed slots on the outside of the dial, a glass removably carried by said casing and covering said central dial and centre seconds hand, an annular dial removably fitted inside the'casing between the plate and the removable glass and around the periphery of the central dial, carrying an annular scale of 60 seconds and a series of six equal sectors'extending respectively over areas corresponding to successive subdivisions of the annular 60-second scale and lying respectively in register with the 5-15, -25, -35, -45, 45-55, and 55-5second fractions of the sixty second scale and each sector carrying an arithmetic progression of numbers the first of which corresponds to the distance travelled over at a predetermined speed during ten,-twenty, thirty, forty, fifty and sixty seconds according to the sector considered, the following numbers being equal to the first number increased respectively by the distances travelled over during one, two, three and foursminutes at the same speed, the different numbers beingregularly distributed in each sector in a clockwise direction, and being adapted to form a basis for the reckoningof the travel executed duringthe time given out by the totalizer and the seconds hand at the above defined speed, two securing knobs carried in diametrically opposed locations on the upper surface of the annular dial and each including. a section. extending I underneath. said annular dial and provided with a transverse part of reduced crosssection adapted to engage the corresponding slot in the plate, the abutment of said parts of the downwardly extending sections against the ends of the corresponding slots defining the angular operative position of the annular dial carrying the said knob sections.

,4. In a chronograph for use on board a vehicle, the combination of a central dial, a minute totalizer and an hour totali-zer carried by said central dial, a centre seconds hand revolving over said central dial and totalizers thereon, a casing enclosing said dial and hand, a carrier plate mounted inside the casing carrying, the central diaLand .provided with two arcuate diametrically opposed slots on the outside of the dial, a glass removably carried by said casing-and covering said" central dial andcentre seconds-hand, an annular dial. removably fitted inside the casing between the plate and the removable glass and around the periphery of the central dial, carrying an annular scale of 60 secondsand a'series of equal sectors extending respectively over areas corresponding to successive-subdivisions'of the annular 60-second scale and having each a predetermined point of its length registering'with the origin ofa corresponding subdivision of i the sixtysecond 'scaleinto a number of fractions equal to that of the sectors, each sector carrying, distributed in clockwise-direction, an arithmetic progression of numbersthe firstofwhichindicates the distance travelled over'by the vehicle at a predetermined speed during a time corresponding to the angular distance travelled over bythe seconds hand between the zero of the sixty second scale and the predetermined point of the sector considered, the numbers following the first number of the progression in each-sector indicating further distances travelled'over at the same speed'by the vehicle during the time elapsed between origins of time shifted by successive integer numbers of minutes back behind the zero of the sixty second scale and the passage of the seconds hand over the predetermined-point of'the sector considered, two securing knobs carriedin diametrically opposed locations on-the-upper surface of the annular dial and. each including a section extending underneath said annular dial and provided with a transverse part of reduced cross-section adapted to-engage the corresponding slot in the plate, the abutment of-said parts of the downwardly extending sections against the ends of the corresponding slots defining the angular-operative position of the annular dial carryingtthe said knob sections.

5. In a chronograph for use on-board a vehicle, the combination of a central dial, a centre seconds hand revolving over said central dial, a casing enclosing said dial and hand, a carrier plate mounted inside thecasing carryingthe central dial, a glass removahly carried by saidcasing. and covering said central dial and centre seconds hand, an annular dial removably fitted inside the casing between the plate and the removable glass and around the periphery of the central dial, carrying an annular scale of 60 seconds and a series of equal sectors extending respectively over areas corresponding to successive subdivisions of the annular 60-second scale and having each a predetermined point of its length registering with the origin of a corresponding subdivision of the sixty second scale into a number of fractions equal to that of the sectors, each sector carrying, distributed in clockwise direction, an arithmetic progression of numbers the first of which indicates the distance travelled over by the vehicle at a predetermined speed during a time corresponding to the angular distance travelled over by the seconds hand between the zero of the sixty second scale and the predetermined point of the sector considered, the numbers following the first number of the progression, in each sector indicating further distances travelled over'at the same speed by the vehicle during the time elapsed between origins of time shifted by successive integer numbers of minutes back behind'the zero of the sixty second scale and the passage of the seconds Lam hand over the predetermined point of the sector eon- 780,775 sidered. 995,457 1,203,690 References Cited in the file of this patent 1,668,336 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 21317322 523,913 Hunter July 31, 1894 652,822 Voorheis July 3, 1900 39,200

6 Bookwalter Jan. 24, 1905 Hansell June 20, 1911 Borresen Nov. 7, 1916 Porter May 1, 1928 Whitehead Apr. 20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Oct. 11, 1909 

